A feminist's hajj

This afternoon I made the feminist's pilgrimage to Mecca. I saw Gloria Steinem speak.

She is one of this year's Yale Chubb Fellows, which brings in well known individuals to lecture to Yale College (the undergrad school), but also to the university and community in general. It was an awesome experience, and a great lecture. She touched on a lot of issues, but her main point was that everything is related to everything else - life and issues are circular in nature. If you are a feminist, then you have to be anti-racist and anti-classism and anti-violence, ect. The way we think about equal pay affects the way we think about foreign policy affects the way we think about history affects the way we think about the death penalty, and so on. Family forms influence the type of government we have, and if we have families filled with violence, it will reflect in our government. She made a really astute statement on the current government/Republican party. Their politics on the death penalty and abortion are seemingly contradictory - but to them what matters is who makes decisions, specifically the state. Individual choice subverts. In terms of birth control and homosexual sex - they're against any sex that doesn't end in procreation.

Some other great quotes from the lecture:
"The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off."
"If racism or patriarchy has a beginning, then it has an end."
"The only real form of arms control is how we raise our children."
"Some say the end justifies the means, but the means are the end."

A fact she gave: in 1979, the average Fortune 500 CEO made 40 times the amount the average employee earned. Now, the average Fortune 500 CEO makes 424 times more than the average employee.

I went with one of my friends Sarah and it was a great time. I don't have any pictures because my camera batteries died, but my memories are enough. Until I grow senile and it's the only memory I have.

For awhile my peace lily has been wilting a bit, so I did a little internet research and guessed I've been overwatering my plant. So, I checked out the pot and yes, my plant was sitting in a pot of water. So, I have to go buy a new pot that will drain water properly. And maybe I'll find another plant that doesn't need to be drained. My apartment doesn't get a lot of natural light, and it's killing me. I love natural light, especially in the morning, and the apartment jas none of it. I think the lily is dealing with that better than I am. So when I go plant shopping in the near future, I need a low light plant that can be overwatered.

Friday I don't have any class, so I think I'm going to head over to the Peabody Museum of Natural History. I'm pretty excited to have a low key day at the museum. I've been thinking about heading over to New York in the near future and hitting up a bunch of museums there, so this in my own backyard is just as good.

Tomorrow is only one week until I come home! And only 8 days till I see Andrew!

481 days until inauguration 2009.